Tray with reinforced corner construction and blank therefor

ABSTRACT

A rectangular paperboard tray having a hollow, triangular pillar corner construction and a unitary paperboard blank therefor. The interior corner panels of the hollow triangular pillar corners are hingedly connected at opposite sides to side panels and inner corner flaps. The side and end panels of the tray are secured together by inner and outer corner flaps.

United States Patent [191 Meyers 1 Nov. 11, 1975 1 1 TRAY WITH REINFORCED CORNER CONSTRUCTION AND BLANK THEREFOR [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: American Can Company,

Greenwich, Conn.

22 Filed: Feb. s, 1975 211 App1.No.:547,289

George L. Meyers, Menasha, Wis.

[52] U.S. CI 229/35; 229/49 [51] Int. Cl. B65D 5/26 {58] Field of Search 229/35, 36. 32. 33, 49

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 756.478 4/1904 Davidson 229/35 1.585.390 5/1926 Kondolf 229/35 2.315.105 3/1943 Bonfield 229/49 2.522.597 9/1950 Blandford 229/35 2.705.588 4/1955 Huckstep 229/32 3.432.085 3/1969 Lock 229/35 3.682.369 8/1972 lsakson 229/35 3.841.476 10/1974 ElfOrd 229/32 X FOREIGN PATENTS O'R APPLICATIONS 1.505.063 12/1967 France 229/35 21.846 9/1961 Germany 229/32 Pl'il1l(ll' Eraminer-William 1. Price Assistant E.\'aminer-Stephen P. Garbe Attorney. Agent. or Firm-Robert P. Auber; Ira S. Dorman; John M. Winter [57] ABSTRACT A rectangular paperboard tray having a hollow, triangular pillar corner construction and a unitary paperboard blank therefor. The interior corner panels of the hollow triangular pillar corners are hingedly connected at opposite sides to side panels and inner corner flaps. The side and end panels of the tray are secured together by inner and outer corner flaps.

4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures TRAY WITH REINFORCED CORNER CONSTRUCTION AND BLANK THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to cartons and blanks therefor and more particularly to rectangular paperboard trays with a hollow triangular pillar corner construction formed from unitary substantially rectangular blanks.

Paperboard trays have, of course, gained a wide acceptance in the packaging industry for merchandising a wide variety of products.

It is well known in the packaging industry that trays with a reinforced corner construction are better able to withstand stacking pressure during storage. While several such trays with reinforced corners are known, the blanks and carton construction embodied by this invention are believed to be significantly simpler and more efficient than those heretofore known to the industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have invented a rectangular paperboard tray and a unitary blank therefor having hollow triangular pillar corners of new and improved simplicity and construction. The interior corner panels of the hollow triangular pillar corners are hingedly connected at opposite sides to side panels and inner corner flaps.

In the first embodiment of my invention the inner corner flaps are glued to the end panels and the outer cornerflaps are glued to the side panels. In the second embodiment of my invention, the inner corner flaps are secured to the end panels by pushing the corner tabs of the inner corner flaps through the short parallel slits of the end panels where they are retained. The outer corner flaps are secured to the side panels by pushing the end tabs of the outer comer flaps through the slits of the side panels where they are retained.

Further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments of the invention for exemplification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a paperboard blank comprising a preferred embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rectangular paperboard tray formed from the blank shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmentary views showing a corner of the blank of FIG. 1 in two stages of progression from flat blank to the finished corner.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a paperboard blank having provisions for tab locking corners comprising a second embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a rectangular paperboard tray formed from the blank shown in FIG. 5.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary views showing a corner of the blank of FIG. 5 in two stages of progression from flat blank to the finished corner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the blank 10 shown is suitably cut and scored to provide a rectangular tray 11. Side panels 12 are hingedly connected to a rectangular bottom panel 13 along a pair of score lines 14. Interior corner panels are hingedly connected to the side panels along fold lines 16. Inner corner flaps 17 are hingedly connected to the interior corner panels along fold lines 18. The bottom edges of the interior corner flaps are defined by end portion slits 19. End panels 20 are hingedly connected to the bottom panel 13 along score lines 21. Outer corner flaps 22 are hingedly connected to the end panels along the score lines 14. The diagonal edges of the outer corner flaps 22 and the inner corner flaps 17 are defined by the corner slits 23.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a description of the assembly of the blank 10 of FIG. 1 into the tray 11 of FIG. 2 will be given. preferred procedure for one corner being sufficient to demonstrate the assembly for the entire tray.

Referring to FIG. 3, the side panel 12 is folded upwardly along score line 14 until substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel 13. The interior corner panel 15 is folded along line 116 until positioned diagonally across the corner formed by the intersection of score line 21 and slit portion 1.9 whereby the bottom of interior corner panel 15 abuts on bottom panel 13. The inner corner flap 17 is folded along fold line 18 until it is substantially parallel to score line 21.

Referring to FIG. 4, the end panel 20 is folded upwardly along score line 21 until substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel 13. The outer corner flap 22 is folded along score line 1.4 until substantially perpendicular to the end panel 20 as illustrated in the completed assembly ofFIG. 2. The inner and outer corner flaps 17 and 22 respectively, are secured to the end and sidepanels 20 and 12 respectively, by gluing. heatsealing or other suitable means.

Referring to FIGS. 5-8, the labeling of elements is substantially the same as that used in FIGS. 1-4. Modified elements are denoted by the subscript a and new elements identified by new numbers. Since a basic understanding of the invention has been provided by the description of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 14, this description will primarily describe the modified and new elements necessary to provide a carton blank and tray with tab locking corners.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the inner and outer corner flaps 17a and 22a are formed by the V-notch cutouts 34 at the end edges of the blank and are further formed by the corner slits 230 which extend diagonally inwardly from the apex of the V-notch cut-outs 34. The side panels 12a have two slits 30 positioned inwardly of the side edges of the blank 10a to receive and retain end tabs 32 of the outer corner flaps 22a. The end tabs 32 are formed by edge slits 33 substantially perpendicular to the edges of the outer corner flaps 22a defined by Vnotch cut-outs 34. The and panels 20a have two pairs of short slits 35 extending inwardly from the end edges of the blank 10a to receive and retain the corner tabs 31 of the inner corner flaps 17a. The corner tabs 31 are formed by slits 36 extending inwardly from the side edges near the corners of the blank 10a.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a description ofthe assembly of the tab locking mechanisms for the illustrated corner will be given. When the side panel 12a and the inner corner flap 17a have been folded as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the corner tab 31 is pushed through the pair of short edge slits 35 and retained there, the corner tab being wider than the opening formed in the side panel 12a by the slits 35. When the outer corner flaps 22a has been folded as shown in FIGS. 8 and 6, the end tab 32 of the outer corner flap 22a is pushed through the slit 30 and is retained there,

the end tab 32 catching on the body of the side panel 12a.

It should be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular construction herein illustrated and described, but embodies all such modified forms as come within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

I. A substantially rectangular unitary paperboard carton blank for forming a tray having a hollow triangular pillar corner construction, said blank comprising:

a. a bottom panel,

b. two side panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel along a first pair of parallel score lines,

c. inner and outer corner flaps formed by corner slits extending diagonally inwardly from substantially the corners of said blank to said first pair of score lines and terminating in inwardly extending short end portion slits coincident with said first pair of score lines,

d. interior corner panels hingedly connected at opposite sides to said inner corner flaps and said side panels along fold lines extending substantially from the edge of the blank to said end portion slits, and

e. two end panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel along a second pair of parallel score lines extending perpendicular to and between said end portion slits and to said outer corner flaps along said first pair of score lines.

2. A substantially rectangular paperboard carton blank as specified in claim 1 wherein said outer corner flaps have end tabs formed therein, said side panels have internal slits'formed therein for receipt and retention of the end tabs of said outer corner flaps. said inner corner flaps have corner tabs formed therein. and said end panels have pairs ofedge slits for receipt and retention of the corner tabs of said inner corner flaps.

3. A substantially rectangular paperboard tray having a hollow, triangular corner pillar construction, said tray comprising:

a. a bottom panel,

b. two side panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel.

c. inner and outer corner flaps.

d. interior corner panels hingedly connected at oppo site sides to said inner corner flaps and said side panels, said interior corner panels extending across the corners of the tray in abutment with the bottom panel thereof.

e. two end panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel and to said outer corner flaps. and

f. said inner corner flaps being disposed inside of and attached to said end panels and said outer corner flaps being disposed outside of and attached to said side panels.

4. A substantially rectangular paperboard tray as specified in claim 3 wherein said inner corner flaps are attached to said end panels by corner tabs on said inner corner flaps inserted and retained in pairs of edge slits formed in said end panels. and said outer corner flaps are attached to said side panels by end tabs inserted and retained in internal slits formed in said side panels. 

1. A substantially rectangular unitary paperboard carton blank for forming a tray having a hollow triangular pillar corner construction, said blank comprising: a. a bottom panel, b. two side panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel along a first pair of parallel score lines, c. inner and outer corner flaps formed by corner slits extending diagonally inwardly from substantially the corners of said blank to said first pair of score lines and terminating in inwardly extending short end portion slits coincident with said first pair of score lines, d. interior corner panels hingedly connected at opposite sides to said inner corner flaps and said side panels along fold lines extending substantially from the edge of the blank to said end portion slits, and e. two end panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel along a second pair of parallel score lines extending perpendicular to and between said end portion slits and to said outer corner flaps along said first pair of score lines.
 2. A substantially rectangular paperboard carton blank as specified in claim 1 wherein said outer corner flaps have end tabs formed therein, said side panels have internal slits formed therein for receipt and retention of the end tabs of said outer corner flaps, said inner corner flaps have corner tabs formed therein, and said end panels have pairs of edge slits for receipt and retention of the corner tabs of said inner corner flaps.
 3. A substantially rectangular paperboard tray having a hollow, triangular corner pillar construction, said tray comprising: a. a bottom panel, b. two side panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel, c. inner and outer corner flaps, d. interior corner panels hingedly connected at opposite sides to said inner corner flaps and said side panels, said interior corner panels extending across the corners of the tray in abutment with the bottom panel thereof, e. two end panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel and to said outer corner flaps, and f. said inner corner flaps being disposed inside of and attached to said end panels and said outer corner flaps being disposed outside of and attached to said side panels.
 4. A substantially rectangular paperboard tray as specified in claim 3 wherein said inner corner flaps are attached to said end panels by corner tabs on said inner corner flaps inserted and retained in pairs of edge slits formed in said end panels, and said outer corner flaps are attached to said side panels by end tabs inserted and retained in internal slits formed in said side panels. 